THE WALL OF FACES

Specialist Four Merl Wayne Ferguson, Served with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

I am my grandfathers grandson
I am writing this because he is still alive
We are going to and see you and the wall
He was the one who wasn’t there because of his r and r
I am so sorry for what happened
Thank you for serving this country you will always be remembered in his heart

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever…..

Photos were sent to me by Brothers Robert and Daniel Ferguson. Younger photo is Merl at age 13, photo with 6 children L to R Cousins Ray, Don , Merl, brothers Robert, David, Ronald and Danny Ferguson, Merl was age 10. Merl and his brother Robert holding their rifles.

Phuoc Vinh Base Camp was a U.S. Army base north of Bien Hoa in Binh Duong Province, RVN. On July 27, 1967, the camp and airfield were attacked with 137 rounds of 122mm rocket and 82mm mortar fire. Thirteen U.S. were killed in the barrage and 71 were wounded. The lost Americans included the following U.S. Army personnel: SP4 William L. Amos, PFC John C. Biondillo, SP4 Merl W. Ferguson, SGT William Gazard, SP4 Kenneth L. Hendrix, SP4 David L. Myers, SFC Leroy A. Nelson, SP4 Bobby G. Peterson, PFC Ernest Phillips, PFC Richard J. Wehrheim, and SP5 Harold E. Young. SGT John R. Evans was accidently killed during the bombardment while he was helping another soldier out of a foxhole when a rifle discharged. The errant round struck Evans, fatally injuring him. An airman on the base from the 8th Aerial Port Squadron was also killed, SSGT Harold D. Moneysmith. Moneysmith and a couple other Air Force personnel were stationed at Phuoc Vinh to handle logistics for Air Force flights to and from the base. He was reportedly outside of his tent when the 9:00 PM attack began and suffered a fragmentation wound to the neck. There were light equipment and material damage sustained at the installation. A later Allied search and destroy operation located the enemy 122mm rocket positions approximately four miles northwest of the base. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and Headquarters, United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Office of Information, monthly press release for July 1967]